Sorry for the long wait! My computer caught a bug and the hard drive had to be wiped clean. T_T So let's just say there were some things that held up the writing process.
Anyway, hope you all like the chapter.
Oh! And in honor of this being my birthday, I think you all should leave a little review, please! :D
"No, no," groaned Usagi. "It can't be stuck."
"Unfortunately," grunted Mamoru, jiggling the door handle roughly. "It can—"
"But it's a door! Door's open."
"And doors close." He pushed against the frame with his shoulder. "—this one for example closed quite well."
"What about a key?"
He rolled his eyes.
"But it' can't happen today! The whole day's been so crappy," she moaned. "First I get detention—"
"That's everyday, Odango."
"Yeah, but it still happened today."
He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.
Giving one final push at the door, he grunted in defeat. He sat down against the door. Figuring she was only about a foot away from him, he pulled his limbs close so as not to accidentally touch her. The darkness prevented him from seeing her, but he could hear the blonde continue to speak.
"I never even got my milkshake since that fight you started—"
"I started?" Even knowing she couldn't see him, he glared in her direction.
"Yes, you! If you hadn't made fun of my hair—"
"I only made fun of your hair because you said my jacket was—"
"But I didn't start it! You said my homework—"
"I barely said anything about your homework! It was you being a klutz—"
"Aha!" she proclaimed in victory. "So you admit you started it!"
"When did I say anything about that?"
"It all began because you made fun of me falling."
"Maybe a little—"
"There it is. My proof."
"But I wouldn't have said anything if you hadn't fallen! So really, you're to blame."
"How was I suppose to know the floor was wet?"
He grumbled something under his breath. Sighing, he nodded his head in defeat. "Fine," he said, groaning. "I may have started the fight."
"The fight that got us kicked out of the arcade."
"I don't think I've ever seen 'Toki that mad."
"Yeah," she said, sighing. "Think he'll forgive us?"
"Sure," he said, though he didn't sound completely certain. "Maybe. Well, I mean, he probably just needs time to cool down."
"Yeah, I guess." She rubbed her fingers against her skirt. "Baka," she started, looking away even though he couldn't see her.
"Hmm?"
"T-thanks for catching me when I fell." Her cheeks pinked at the memory.
Excited to finally be out of detention, she was walking too fast and her foot slipped underneath her on the wet floor. She was expecting to fall flat on the ground but instead felt his warm hands grab her. Instead of falling, she looked up to see his surprised face. Felt his warm chest against her own. Heard his breath catch as she reminded herself to breathe.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but it felt like he held her a second longer than necessary. Like he was trying to keep her his for a few moments.
Mamoru rubbed the back of his neck, hiding the blush.
He cleared his throat before responding.
"Any time."
Was it just a few hours ago? It seemed like a life time ago he was waiting for her. After he saw all the students released from school, he figured he had to wait another hour for his Odango. Detention. Again. At times he wished he could follow her to school just to keep her out of trouble so she wouldn't have to spend an hour for her misbehaving. Or get her to wake up on time so she wasn't late and could avoid the detention slip. As long as he could keep her out of spending an hour in detention, he was willing to do it. Because it would mean another hour he would get to spend with her.
Was that selfish?
Maybe.
Possibly.
Most likely.
Who cares? He didn't.
Sitting at his usual seat at the Crown Arcade, he waited for her. Catching her blonde hair out of the corner of his eyes, he willed himself not to be the first one to say anything. Reminding himself he didn't want to look desperate, he made himself to wait. Let her make the first move. Don't look so eager that he'd scare her away.
And then it happened.
One slip of her foot and she was midair. Falling face first onto the wet floor of the arcade. He didn't even have to think about moving. One second he heard her yelp of surprise as her foot lost friction, the next he was holding her in his arms.
Her look of shock staring up at him. Small, delicate face pink from excitement. Cheeks flushed. Long blonde hair wrapped around the both of them. It was like being encased in sunshine; Helios joining the two together.
Her pink lips were parted, inhaling deep breaths. He felt the warm breath on his face. Glancing down at her lips, he had the urge to just lean down and—
"Ar-arigato gozimus," she breathed.
His thoughts had stopped. He didn't know what to say. One minute he was imagining something, the next his mind was blank. She said something. Thanking him. It was his turn now. Time to say something. Anything.
"Klutz."
Anything but that...
He regretted it as soon as he heard the word come out of his mouth. His ears had to be lying. Surely he hadn't just said—
And she's yelling at him.
He'd definitely said it...
Truthfully, he hadn't meant to say that. Insulting her wasn't something he liked doing. It just always happened...
Any other girl, he could talk to fine. No worries. No nervous feelings in his stomach. But Odango...
His Odango. The blonde nymph that didn't even realize how crazy she drove him. She could make his mind that never seemed to stop thinking be blank. One look from her and he was spitting out insults when he should be busy complimenting her.
She did horrible things to his insides.
And he loved it.
He loved every moment of being with her. Seeing that smile. Talking with her. Fighting with her. Just him and his Odango.
But they weren't at the arcade anymore.
They were stuck in a dark closet. Hoping the lock would give way and let them out of said small closet. Waiting for the power to return. Trying not to touch each other.
"I don't want to spend the rest of the night here," he muttered. He lasted this long without touching her in such a small space. Risking the entire night like this wouldn't be wise.
"Don't look at me," she said. "It's your apartment."
"No, not that!" Did she not like his place? What was wrong with it? "I meant the closet."
"Yeah. It's cold here." Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she missed the warm blanket currently on the bed.
His bed.
She couldn't fall asleep. Just tossing and turning knowing she was laying on the bed Mamoru went to sleep in every night. His large body tucked between the sheets. Breathing deeply, she had inhaled his scent. It had clung to the walls. The bedspread. The pillows. And now her.
Breathing deeply now, she caught his scent surrounding her. Becoming a part of her. She shivered for a different reason now.
And he slept on the sofa. They both had been sitting on it previously. She had wondered if he thought about that as he was trying to sleep. No, probably not. She doubted he ever really thought about her at all.
Yet, all she had thought about was him sleeping on that bed every night. And tonight? Tonight he had been just a few feet away on that couch
She shivered again.
"—towels, if you want."
"W-what?" She didn't realize he'd been talking.
"I said," he began, "you could reach for some towels if you want. They'll keep you warm for right now."
"What color are they?" she asked, standing up and feeling around for the towels. "I like pink and white ones!"
"What does it matter?" he grumbled. "It's dark. It's not like you can see the colors."
"Right." As her hands grazed the soft texture of a towel, she pulled until she got a few free. "Here!" she called, throwing one to him.
"—Ugh!"
"Sorry," she grimaced. "I thought you might be cold, too."
He rolled his eyes but thanked her none the less.
"You get warm," he said, standing up, "I'll keep working on this door. It's gotta budge sometime or another."
Grasping at the door handle, he gently pushed at the side of the door, wiggling the frame.
"Would light help?" With a towel around her shoulders, she stretched her arm at one of the top shelves, hoping to feel for the waxy candles again.
"Yes, Odango, light would surely help. Happen to have a flashlight you forgot about till now?" he grumbled. "Perhaps you were hiding it in that obnoxious hair style. A flashlight in one bun and the batteries in the other?"
"Hmph!" She leaned back and glared into the dark night. "I just meant I felt the candles earlier. Perhaps we could light them so you could see the door better."
"Oh..."
"But if you'd rather spend this time to insult me," she said bitterly, "then don't let me interrupt."
Mamoru let out a heavy sigh. She could hear him slump against the door.
"Sorry," he grumbled. "I can be a bit grouchy without sleep."
She wanted to ask if he was often without sleep. It would serve him right if she picked a fight right now. But, she sighed inwardly, this probably wasn't his ideal situation.
He'd been out of his comfortable bed and had taken the couch as a gentleman. She'd woken him up in the middle of the night to appease her growling stomach. And he had to endure all of this with a person she doubt he particularly liked.
With their history, Usagi figured he'd prefer a rabid hyaena over her.
"I'm sorry you're stuck with me," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Her mind had been filled with thoughts of spending time with Mamoru. She failed to think that he might not want an unexpected guest. Through it all, he hadn't said a single negative comment about her impulsively asking to stay the night. No demands that she owed him a debt. No warnings that he would leave her to fend for herself outside if she misbehaved.
No, through it all, her baka was certainly a gentleman.
"I'm not stuck with you," he said, scoffing.
Or perhaps she spoke to soon...
"But-but it's cold outside! You can't just kick me out! And we're stuck here, anyway, so how're you even—"
"Relax," he said.
She could hear the smile in his voice. Her body shivered as she felt him tug on a lock of blonde hair.
"I—" What was he suppose to say? He liked having her here? Her being in his home felt right? It finally felt like a home rather than just an apartment for once? "I don't mind you here." He shrugged inwardly, telling himself it was close enough.
All the while another voice screamed at him for being a coward.
"Thanks," she murmured. "We might not be friends—"
"—we're not friends?"
He wouldn't say they were the best of mates—nothing close to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson—but he didn't realize she didn't consider them to be...
Not even after spending so much together?
Most of the time, you're fighting with her, he groaned inward.
Of course she didn't consider him a friend. How many of her friends insult her daily? He couldn't remember the last time she had a fight with any of her other friends—wait, wait.
He couldn't even say other friends. Not if she didn't think they were friends. No. He couldn't remember the last time she had a fight with any of her friends.
Just thinking about it made him ache inside.
His hands clutched into fists, having a sudden urge to throttle the Crown Arcade bartender. His blonde friend whom his Odango always gave kinds smiles to. Him she probably considered her friend. No doubt about that.
Was he just the third wheel? A person that butt in while his Odango spent time with her friend. That weed who refused to go away while she was busy trying to pick petunias.
"I just didn't think..." she began. He could hear the surprise in her voice.
What? She just didn't think he was good enough?
Well, alright.
Fine.
Maybe he wasn't the most pleasant person in the world. So it would make sense. She had her group of friends and he was just—
"...I mean," she said, "you were always such a jerk..."
Yeah, he cursed inwardly. Makes perfect sense. He shut his eyes, trying to block out the pain. This shouldn't hurt.
Really, it shouldn't.
You were expecting this all along, he reminded himself. Nothing new here.
So why did his heart feel heavy?
"...I figured you didn't think of me that way."
"What?" he blurted out. She wasn't trying to make this his fault, was she? No way! "I didn't think of you in what way?"
"Well, you know. L-like a friend."
He narrowed his eyes at her. Was this just a bluff? Was she pulling away and pretending to pin it on him?
"Why would I not?" he bit out.
"Great, you're mad again," she said in a huff. "See, that's what I'm talking about."
She must've raised her a finger to point at him because he felt a jab. Grabbing her hand before she retreated, he pulled at her.
"I'm not mad, Odango," he growled. "So tell me what you're talking about."
"You sound mad," she grumbled, trying to pull her hand back. She tried retreating behind but he nudged her forward. "What're you—"
"Don't bother running away," he warned. He pulled her closer.
"Umph!" she groaned, knocking into him. "We're bumping into enough things in the dark as is, baka. This isn't helping."
It certainly was dark.
He suddenly felt they'd been in the dark for too long.
"Why didn't think you I thought of you as a friend?"
She grimaced at the question. Did he really want her to list the ways he insulted her? Her head fell low remembering the insults.
"You say mean things to me," she spit out quickly.
They didn't particularly sting like being bullied. No, they weren't painful in that way.
They bothered her because they made her feel things she hadn't felt before. Like she was right at the edge of an emotion she couldn't place. She wasn't sure what they meant and she wanted to know and run away from them at the same time.
"Hey," he whispered softly. She shuddered feeling his nose against her ear. His fingers crawled from her arm up to her neck, spreading heat along her body.
"It's just," she began, her voice wavering. "Y-you're nice to all the other—" girls, she thought with a groan, "—you're nice to everyone else. But you...to me, you're..."
"A jerk?"
Usagi bit her lips against a smile. She was thankful it was dark. At least Mamoru couldn't see her the blush that blazed on her face.
"Yeah," she breathed.
"I didn't realize you minded so much..."
She closed her eyes as he continued to caress her neck. His fingers seemed to move of their own accord as he continued to talk.
"If you're really offended," he said, "I could stop." And move heaven and earth for you if you ask, he thought with a groan.
Not only would he chuck his physics books to do just that, but he'd be spending several nights thinking of topics to converse with his Odango. Actual conversations instead of jabs and insults at her.
Would he sound like a love sick teenage girl if he practiced these actual conversations in the mirror? Just so he'd be perfect when the time came to actually talk with her. That didn't sound neurotic, did it? Possibly. Maybe. Probably.
He might need to see a therapist about this...
It would figure that his Odango would drive him into a mental illness.
"I-I'd," she began, "I'd prefer you didn't."
Mamoru cringed inward.
"Right," he breathed out, his voice sounding tight. "I'll be sure to leave you alone from now. No more insulting you anymore."
He nodded his head in confirmation.
His hands dropped, letting her go.
She'd made her decision, he said to himself. He'd giver her respect and honor it.
"N-no—"
"No more insults," he said, taking a step back. "No more name calling." He groaned, his back hitting the door. Rubbing his fingers, he remembered her soft hair in his hold. "No more pulling your hair—"
"No, baka—that's not what I meant."
He heard her stumble forwards, her fingers reaching his chest. Pulling at his shirt as she inched upwards.
"You can't have it both ways," he grumbled. His hands reached out to grab her but froze in mid air.
He willed himself not to touch her. It would make it so much harder if he felt her soft skin again.
It was torture enough to be this close without touching her, but now he felt like she was doing it on purpose. He closed his eyes and groaned inwards.
Why couldn't his heart want a docile girl that didn't make his insides burn like this?
But no.
It had to be Odango.
His Odango.
And he wouldn't have had it any other way.
Sure now his insides burned like he'd been flushed with hot coals, but could he really take back any of the memories he had with her? Would he want to lose the first time they met—that fated incident with her horrible exam grade? The flash of anger in her eyes the first time she tossed her milkshake at him?
Maybe he couldn't bring himself to erase all of those memories, but perhaps she did. It was possible she wanted to have never met him.
"I didn't mean it like that!"
"Then how did you mean it?" he asked, failing to hide his anxiety. "I can't insult you, but you're okay with me pulling your hair?" God, please let the answer be yes. Let him get some leeway. His voice choked at a hollow laugh at the thought; he really was a glutton for punishment.
"No-no!" He felt her hair as she shook her head. "But yes—I mean—ugh! You're making this so hard!"
"I'm making it hard?" he grumbled. "You're the one that's waffling back and forth—"
"I know, I know. But you're not understanding what I'm saying!"
"Then tell me what you mean!"
"I'm trying, you jerk!"
"So you can insult me but I can't do it back?" he groaned, leaning his head back. "Great, Oda—wait," he said with an empty laugh, "I'm not allowed to call you that anymore. No insults from my end—"
"That's not what I said!" She pulled at his shirt, trying to get him closer to her. "Just listen—"
"Listen to what? You've got some other names you want to call me? How long is the list? Should we sit down?"
"Stop being like this," she groaned.
"Stop being nice? Isn't this what you wanted? I'm just trying to make sure your legs don't get tired while you're busy chewing me out—"
"Baka!"
"That one's a real classic with us," he said with a smile. He didn't know why he was smiling. The tears in his eyes he could explain, but the pained smile confused him. He took a deep breath, trying to will his emotions into a box.
"Just stop," she groaned. Gripping his shirt tighter, she buried her head in his chest. Her eyes teared as the emotions swirled inside her.
He could feel her hot breath as she breathed into him. Shivering at the intimate sensation, he couldn't stop the hand that moved to rub down her back. Her back arched to meet his hand. She nudged his chest with her forehead, nuzzling him.
"Odango..." he breathed.
His body felt her shiver, causing him to groan.
Leaning her head up, she gave herself room to talk. Licking her dry lips, she cleared her throat before continuing.
"I-I may sound stupid when I say this,"she began, "but I like it when we fight." She winced at how open and vulnerable she felt with the darkness. With Mamoru.
"It doesn't sound stupid..." because I like it too, he said in his head.
"But I shouldn't like someone being mean to me like that," she said, groaning.
"When we fight," he asked, wincing, "does it sound like we're being mean to each other?"
"Yes," she said quickly. "But no. I mean...I don't know." He felt her shrug against him. "It sounds mean but it isn't. Like we're just playing—having fun—but not like how I play with Motoki-san or any of my other friends..." Mamoru thanked God for that. "Oh, I don't know the word for it!"
"Maybe a bit like we're teasing each other?" he ventured. Flirting his mind offered. He wasn't sure if Odango wanted to hear that just yet.
"Yeah," she said with a squeak. He could almost see her blush.
"Okay."
"So..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "So I'd prefer you didn't. Stop I mean. I'd prefer if you didn't stop with the ins—I mean with the—with the..."
"With the teasing." He finished for her, rubbing slow circles on her back.
He felt her nod her head against his chest. "Yeah."
"So we're friends?" he asked.
"Um, I-I don't know. I mean," she said, "we're not friends like how I am with my other friends."
Her other friends. He smiled hearing that.
"Right," he said, nodding. "We're definitely not friends like that." He wasn't sure if he could ever be friends like that with his Odango. He wanted something else with her instead.
"We're...I don't really know the word for it, sorry..."
"Perhaps we don't have a word for what we are." Yet.
"Is that okay?" she asked, biting her lip.
"As long as we don't mind, then we're fine. Doesn't matter what anyone else says."
"Okay." She nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds good."
"I have to ask," he began, "did you honestly think I didn't think of you as a friend?"
"Well..." He felt her shoulders move in a shrug. "Yeah. Just...you know, you're—what's the word? Picky? You don't really talk with a lot of people—like you don't want to have a lot of friends."
Mamoru choked on his laughter.
She felt his chest move against her as he laughed deeply.
"What?" she groaned.
He just leaned his head back and continued laughing.
"What's so funny, baka?" She softly thumped his chest. "Quit laughing!"
"It's nothing," he said between chuckles.
"Doesn't sound like nothing," she grumbled. "If you're making fun of me, I'd rather you tell me..."
"It's not that." She snorted in reply. "Really." He tugged her hair gently. "Some people just aren't as social as you, 'Dango. I didn't realize it bothered you that I'm just a little—let's say selective with whom I talk to."
"It doesn't bother me, really. It was just a little intimidating."
"Huh." His fingers buried into her hair, gently scratching her scalp. He smiled as she leaned into the touch. "Didn't realize I was so frightening."
"Not scary like that." She sighed as he continued massaging her scalp. "You were so serious. And, you know, that whole tall, dark, and handso—"
She squeaked, realizing what she was just about to say.
Jumping out of his arms, she inched back away from him.
"Wait—"
"Maybe we should focus on getting out of here!" Her face pinked at what she almost admitted to.
"Tall, dark, and what, Odango?" he asked, chuckling.
"N-nothing! I didn't say anything." She moved back, knowing he must be stepping closer. "I just said you were tall. A-and dark—like had a nice tan."
She cringed feeling the shelves against her back.
No where else to escape.
"I could swear," he said into her ear. She gasped and shut her eyes, feeling his hot breath on her. "I swear you said something about me being handso-something." She could hear the laughter in his voice.
"Nothing—I didn't say anything like that." She bit her lip. The heat from her face eased down, her whole body warm because of him. Her breath caught as she felt his arms clutch her waist. Fingers caressing her. "This," she said, inhaling as he grasped her waist tighter, "t-this doesn't feel like the same teasing."
Mamoru chuckled in her ear.
"No," he agreed. "Not the same teasing."
"Maybe you," her hand reached out to his chest. She intended to give him a push but felt herself grip the shirt closer instead. No, she reminded herself. Giving a mental shake, she let go of his shirt and started again. "Maybe you should get the candles. For light. S-so we can open the door."
"So eager to see my hands-something face?"
She blushed, but didn't bother replying as she felt him move to get the candles from above her.
"Here," he said. She felt two waxy cylinders against her hand. Grasping the candles he nudged her with, she stayed still as he moved to get the matches. "I think I felt a box of them around here," he murmured.
"Careful," she warned, remembering the sharp objects he ran into before in that section of the closet.
"—ouch!" He grumbled under his breath some choice words. "Yeah, definitely need to be careful. The candles won't keep us warm any."
"I'm not much cold anymore," she said, shrugging.
Mamoru's fingers paused for a moment. A grin broke out on his face.
"That right?" he asked, not bothering to hide his satisfaction that he was responsible for her warmth.
"Find them yet?" she urged.
"Hmm? Gimme a sec." He moved to another shelf. Shampoo. Soap. Bracelets. "Wha...?" Rubbing over that portion again, he felt the thick bands. They were strung together—oh! His mind relaxed feeling that they were just shower rings.
Moving farther down, he felt a few small, stacked boxes.
Matches!
"Got 'em!" he said over his shoulder.
"You sure?"
Carefully taking a box and opening it, he ran a finger over the small sticks. "It's definitely them."
"Great!" She slowly walked forwards, reaching out with her hand to find him. "Umph!"
"Careful, Odango." He held her steady and lowered them both until they were sitting.
"Here." She eased a candle forward, nudging his leg with the waxy cylinder.
Grasping the top, he felt for the wick and rubbed it against his finger.
"Alright," he said, nodding. "Let's try this."
Slowly opening the box of matches, he took out a single match and closed it again. Feeling over the ends to find the reactive side, he grasped the other end and flicked it against the side of the box.
"Light!" she gasped.
"Yes!" he cheered in triumph.
The red flame stood between the two of them. It danced as they breathed, arching as they inhaled and exhaled.
He stared at her. The blonde hair darker in the shadows. She looked older than the last time he saw her, just before the power went out.
Or maybe she was always like this and he never saw it? Never noticed just how much she'd aged since the first time they met.
Watching him stare at her, she licked her suddenly dry lips.
"C-candle," she reminded him. Her eyes lowered to the waxy tower in between them. She still held the other.
"Right—candle."
Lowering his hand, he let the flame merge with the wick. Waiting a moment, he pulled the match away and saw the candle had been lit.
Shaking his hand, he let the flame from the match go out.
Usagi lowered the other candle, holding its wick against the burning one, lighting both of them. After a moment, she pulled it back and held it in her hands.
Mamoru lifted the original candle off the ground, bringing it higher to illuminate his face.
"So," he said, lifting an eyebrow, "still as handso-something?"
She laughed, her face turning pink.
Pointing behind her with her thumb, she turned his attention back at the door.
"Time to open the door, right?"
"Right."
Lifting their respective candles, they moved to get him towards the door. As Mamoru held the flame against the door handle, he stared at it for a moment. He couldn't help feeling that he and his Odnago had already started opening a whole different door entirely.
Thoughts?
Likes? Dislikes? What do you all want to see for the next chapter?
Thanks for reading, now review and give the birthday girl some love! ^_^